#LugawIsEssential: Different recipes of the humble Pinoy porridge that you can try

There shouldn't be any argument when we say that lugaw or the Pinoy rice porridge is essential.

According to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), aside from being a comfort food prepared with love, lugaw is one of the Filipino's cultural icons.

NCCA further describes the popular dish, saying, “Sapat ang umuusok sa init na isang mangkok na lúgaw para umampat ng gútom at para pawisan at gisawan ng lagnat ang maysakít. Ngunit ang lúgaw na ginagamit na sabaw o káldo (mula Espanyol na caldo) sa ibang putahe ay may ginisang bawang, sibuyas, at luya.

"Nilalagyan ito ng pinatuyông bulaklak ng kasubhâ para magkulay dilaw ang sinaing na bigas at binubudburan sa ibabaw ng mga tinadtad na muràng dahon ng sibuyas tagalog (leek).”

Meanwhile, according to the National Quincentennial Committee, lugaw has been part of our history since the 1600s.

A part of its post reads, “Lugaw is one of the earliest documented food of our ancestors. The 1613 Vocabulario de la Lengua Tagala by Fr. Pedro de San Buenaventura, OFM defines it as rice mixed with milk or water or of both (porridge).”

Lugaw has long been part of a Filipino's appetite and palate. You can never go wrong with a bowl of this rice porridge, but if you want to be more adventurous, you might want to consider the following recipes:

1. Judy Ann Santos's Bulalo Lugaw

Judy Ann gives her personal touch to lugaw by preparing her version of Bulalo Lugaw. She turns it into an ultimate comfort food by adding salted egg, fried tofu, and grilled liempo.

See her full recipe here:

2. Chef Boy Logro's Lugaw Trio

Chef Boy Logro, together with co-host Bettinna Carlos, teaches three tasty yet nutritional lugaw recipes that are great for babies.

The ingredients for the first recipe include rice, squash, and monggo. The second recipe has carrots, liver, and iodized salt, while the third recipe is prepared with malunggay leaves and hard-boiled eggs.

See their recipe on Idol sa Kusina here:

3. Mommy blogger Peach Adarne's CauliRice Lugaw

Mommy blogger Peach Adarne shows us how to enjoy lugaw without eating too much carbs. She prepares a low-carb keto porridge with cauliflower as a substitute for rice.

See her full recipe here:

4. Richard Gomez's Risoni Rice Arroz Caldo

Richard Gomez upgrades the traditional lugaw with his recipe for Risoni Rice Arroz Caldo. Instead of using sticky rice, he uses risoni rice as the main ingredient. He also makes the taste more exciting by adding salted eggs, crispy dilis, and lemon.

See his full recipe here:

Whether you're nursing some sickness, treating yourself to your usual merienda, or beating the lockdown blues, you just know it, #LugawIsEssential!

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